Several people have been killed in Iran after cost-of-living protests turned deadly, marking the most serious unrest the country has seen in three years.
Protests that began on Sunday among shopkeepers and traders in Tehran over the sharp fall in the value of the national currency have spread to other groups and regions, reaching a violent climax overnight into Thursday.
Iranian media and a Kurdish rights group reported that clashes erupted in the western city of Lordegan between security forces and protesters. A source cited by the semi-official Fars news agency claimed multiple people were killed during confrontations with what it described as armed protesters.
The rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Lordegan, killing and wounding several people. Authorities also confirmed one death in the western city of Kuhdasht, while Hengaw reported another fatal shooting in the central province of Isfahan.
The violence represents a significant escalation in protests driven by soaring inflation, a weakening currency and worsening economic conditions. Earlier in the week, authorities had unusually suggested the possibility of opening a “dialogue mechanism” with protesters.
What started as demonstrations by shopkeepers has expanded to include university students in Tehran, with reports of protesters attempting to break into a government building on Wednesday.
Some demonstrators were arrested in the western provinces of Kermanshah, Khuzestan and Hamedan, according to Hengaw. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards said a member of its Basij volunteer paramilitary unit was killed in Kuhdasht, with 13 others wounded.
This week’s protests are the first major demonstrations since the country was hit by airstrikes in the summer, an event that briefly stirred national solidarity. However, frustrations have resurfaced amid continued Western sanctions, inflation estimated at around 40%, and the economic fallout from Israeli and US attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership.
Despite their history of heavy-handed responses to unrest, Iranian authorities appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone this week. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said officials were willing to engage directly with representatives of trade unions and vendors, though no clear details have been provided.
At the same time, reports from activist groups indicate a heavy security presence across multiple cities, with arrests, shootings and clashes recorded in several areas. State media said some detained students were later released.
The situation remains tense as authorities face growing pressure and limited options to ease the country’s deepening economic crisis.
